Biography
I am a Senior Associate Solicitor based in the Cambridge office of Irwin Mitchell, having qualified in 2010 and joined Irwin Mitchell in 2015.
I deal with all areas of medical negligence claims including:
- Delay in diagnosis of cancer
- Brain injuries including birth injuries
- Maternal injuries during childbirth
- Failures in relation to fertility treatment
- Delay in diagnosis of bacterial infections causing significant injury
- Amputations
- Delayed diagnosis and prevention failures in relation to strokes
- Avoidable deaths including stillbirth and neonatal deaths
- Surgical errors.
I have a particular interest in injuries to both mum and baby caused during or around the time of childbirth.
As part of my interest in injuries suffered during pregnancy and birth, I have also worked with nurses, clinicians and hospital units across East Anglia to deliver training to increase patient safety and awareness of the impact errors in care can have.
I have a very good working relationship with those I develop training opportunities with who recognise the benefits of a collaborative approach to improving patient safety. This work has evolved and I am now involved in Irwin Mitchell’s Maternity Matters webinar series, aimed at promoting best practice in a collaborative way.
What Inspired You To Get Into Law?
My skill set is certainly suited to the law and the medical aspect of my role. However, when I undertook my law degree in pursuit of a career in law, I underestimated the reward in helping our clients to seek justice. Justice can mean very different things to different people but I feel a real sense of purpose and achievement in working with clients to obtain the justice they aspire to achieve.
What Is The Most Rewarding Aspect Of Your Role?
The relationships I have with my clients and the shared journey we pursue to reach their goals of compensation, answers or simply recognition that something has gone wrong. I feel privileged to have the opportunity to share a client’s journey through what is often a very difficult time of their lives, and it is so rewarding to reach that goal together and see the life-changing difference awards of compensation can make to their lives.
What Do You Like About Working At Irwin Mitchell?
This is probably an answer given by lots of people at Irwin Mitchell, but it is definitely the people I work with. I love working with like-minded, collaborative people and learning from my colleagues who work tireless to help their clients and improve patient safety. It is inspirational and I think gives us all an incentive to be even better at what we do.
What Do You Do Away From The Office?
Away from the office, I spend most of my free time running around after my 4 children and 2 dogs who give me no peace, but I would not be without the chaos! I am very lucky that my partner is an Italian chef and as I love food, it is a perfect match! We love to travel with the children, and I am (very slowly) learning Italian.
Testimonials
"She is highly intelligent with good client skills, and moreover is able to identify legal and practical issues in a case quickly and efficiently. She is a rising star in claimant clinical negligence practice." - Legal 500, 2023
"Sarah has been so helpful throughout the whole process. She always gives us her time if we have questions or need to discuss in length." - Chambers & Partners, 2023
"She is a highly skilled member of the team and has excellent judgement." - Chambers & Partners, 2022 (Associate To Watch)
Rising Star - Legal 500, 2022
"She is sympathetic with clients and tough with opponents. She is a good and determined negotiator often taking on and succeeding with claims which other solicitors have refused. She has first class client care skills and many of her clients are clearly devoted to her." - Legal 500, 2021
Sarah "is a compassionate and efficient professional with a good understanding of the clinical as well as legal issues." - Chambers & Partners, 2020
"She is amazing - warm, compassionate and always calm; she is very good at negotiating on clients' behalf". - Legal 500, 2018/19
"A fantastic medical negligence Solicitor. She is calm, compassionate, a real people person, and very organised. I would recommend Sarah to anyone considering bringing a medical negligence case." - Client
Sarah Wealleans "is very good with clients, personable and has bags of energy." - Chambers & Partners 2018
Has "a particularly good bedside manner with clients" - Legal 500, 2017
“Experienced, knowledgeable and fantastic with clients” - Legal 500, 2016
Sarah is an 'Associate to Watch' and a 'rising star' in the field. She is noted for being "really good with clients, very organised, bright and sensible." - Chambers & Partners 2016
"Sarah Wealleans at Irwin Mitchell is a fantastic medical negligence Solicitor. She is calm, compassionate, a real people person, and very organised. She negotiated an out of court settlement for me, which is such a relief, as I was dreading the ordeal of a 3 day court case... I would recommend Sarah to anyone considering bringing a medical negligence case. She also found me a formidable expert witness who would have been excellent in court, and who was brilliant in her field. Sarah is very supportive, Thank you so much Sarah." - 5* Trustpilot review
"Sarah and the team handled our enquiry efficiently and most importantly with empathy. I was so glad I contacted them and very happy with the information provided." - 5* Trustpilot review
"Guy F and Samantha W worked tirelessly on our daughter's clinical negligence case... The case was one of the hardest things we have ever done emotionally, and yet Irwin Mitchell were right by our side every step of the way: their knowledge, skill, professionalism and empathy are without compare and it is because of their brilliance that our daughter settled for a life changing amount. Plus they were absolutely lovely - so kind and friendly, always. First class solicitors!" - 5* Trustpilot review
